Death No Obstacle
by cultnirvana
Summary: Complete! Ash and Misty begin to dream of a time and place where they were star-crossed lovers. However, the first of all loving dreams turn into tragic nightmares.
1. Chapter 1 A Dream of You

_Ash and Misty begin to dream of a time and place, 1000 years ago, where they were Satoshi and Kasumi, star-crossed lovers from enemy families. However, the first of all loving dreams turn into tragic nightmares._

_Author Notes -_   
_Ages: Ash 17_   
_ Misty & Kasumi 18_   
_ Satoshi 20_   
_Hey. It's me again. Sorry I've been away for a little while but haven't had much time lately to write with uni and all, and when I've had, I've been battling with a bad case of writer's block. This is my first bash at fantasy/supernatural fiction. I got the idea from Shakespeare's 'Romeo & Juliet', and its a bit similar to the 'Sailor Moon' romance story (you know, the ol' star-crossed lovers thing), but it is very different, believe me. It's rated R for sexual references, adult topic matter, and descriptive details of blood, etc. I'd like to thank all my friends for helping me keep on writing. Enjoy, oh, and please R & R. Reviews make my day._

* * *

**_Death No Obstacle_**   
_by cultnirvana_

**Chapter One - A Dream of You**

* * *

Ash looked into the dark sky. It was futile to continue on at this time of the night. They could barely see the ground underneath them. Plus rain was beginning to fall. "I think we better stop here, Misty. There's no way were going to get to Pewter tonight. We'll see Brock tomorrow, but for now I think we better set the tent up." 

"Not another night out camping," she whined. "I don't think I can even remember what a real bed looks like. I told you we shouldn't have taken that short cut. From now on I'm leading." 

Ash chuckled. "You'll just get us lost." 

"I've never gotten us lost. You're the one who can't read maps." 

"Yes I can." 

"Well then, how come it took us five hours to get to Vermilion last week when it should have only been a thirty minute walk?" 

He looked down awkwardly at the ground. "Ah, I was reading the map upside down." He then looked at her again, straight into her deep eyes and smiled. _God, she's beautiful when she's angry._

Misty noticed the look he give her and began to blush. She was sure, from the way he had been looking at her lately, that there was something going on between them. She had known for years that she was madly in love with him, but she had never believed that maybe he could feel the same about her. However, now those doubts had begun to fade. They always flirted with each other, and their arguments had gone from vicious and belittling to comical and enjoyable. They had even shared their first kiss together three years before, although it had not lead to anything further. But still she was afraid to make a move incase her perceptions were wrong. 

"I think maybe we should set up the tent," she said quietly, trying to break herself from her thoughts. 

"Yeah." He lent down, opening the bag. He reached inside to take the poles out but instead met with something warm and tender. He glanced up to see Misty next to him, reaching into the bag as well, his hand on top of hers. They again looked at each other, unsure of what to do, until they both started to laugh gently. 

" Sorry," they both said in unison. 

"Do you want me to get the stuff out?" Ash asked. 

"Sure," she answered, but their hands remained in contact for several seconds more before she stood, walking over to Pikachu and Togetic. She watched as he pulled the poles and canvas out of the bag, and began to assemble the tent...clumsily. She sighed. "You're useless." 

"Hey!" he protested, an injured expression upon his face. 

She softened at the look. "Here. Let me help."

* * *

Misty glanced around at the scene before her. Was it morning already? She felt like she had just drifted off to sleep mere moments ago. But the forest didn't look as she had remembered it. And where was the tent? Her and Ash had been sleeping there because of the rain, but now he and it were nowhere to be seen. 

She stood and began to walk, but it seemed more like something was in control of her body. She tried to stop her legs but they continued on undaunted. _What's going on?_ she asked herself. Fear began to arise within her. Where were her legs taking her? 

The forest began to clear, allowing her to look out upon a crystal clear lake. A figure sat by the bank, dressed in traditional clothing, staring off into the distance, seemingly lost within his own thoughts. She drew closer, alerting him to her attention. He looked up to her, a wide smile upon his handsome face. 

She couldn't believe it. It couldn't be. The man, into whose face she was staring, looked exactly like...Ash. But he seemed...a little older. Not by much, maybe twenty or so. 

The doppleganger stood and placed his arms around her, pulling her into a loving embrace. She felt warm in his arms, comfortable and safe. When he released her, she felt his arm move, his hand settling upon her belly. She did the same, pressing it with a gentle pressure, and realised that her abdomen was ever so slightly swollen. It was barely noticeable, but she could feel it. 

_What is going on?_ She began to panic again, confused by everything, until the image began to fade, replaced by red canvas and the sound of heavy rain pouring from the heavens, drumming upon the tent. She bolted up, her mind still in chaos. 

A noise came from beside her. She turned in its direction to see Ash sitting in the same position as her, bewilderment shadowing his face as well. 

"You...okay?" she whispered. 

"Ah, yeah. I think so." He paused. "Are you?" he asked, his worry for her evident. 

She nodded. " It was just a..." she thought for a moment. She was about to say a bad dream, but what was so bad about it? "...a strange dream." 

"Me too." 

Both sat for a few moments longer before they lay back on their makeshift beds. "Night," he said. 

"Night," she echoed. 

Ash watched her as she closed her eyes and pulled the sleeping bag up to cover all of her body apart from her head. Yeah, he'd had many dreams about her before, he was in love with her after all, but tonight's had just seemed so strange. _People say dreams mean something, your unconscious or whatever trying to tell you something_, he thought._ Well then, what the hell did that one mean?_


	2. Chapter 2 The Meeting

**__**

**_Death No Obstacle_**   
_by cultnirvana_

**Chapter Two - The Meeting**

* * *

Ash pressed the doorbell, and, after hearing a few noises from within, the door opened, revealing their old friend Brock, wearing his pink apron and rubber gloves. 

"What took you guys so long to get here? I thought you'd be here yesterday." Brock wrapped them both in a strong embrace, smothering his friends. 

"That was the plan but idiot here got us lost again," Misty answered, trying to rescue herself from Brock's hug. 

Ash gave her an upset look. "Hey." She just smiled back, causing him to blush lightly. 

Brock looked at his younger friends, who stood staring at each other. "Ah...Well, are you guys coming in?" 

They both shook themselves out of the gaze. "Ah, sure," Misty answered.

* * *

  
Brock threw the carrots and onions into the stew pot and stirred it before tasting the mixture. "Mmmm, a little more basil I think." As he added the herb, he turned to his friends, skinning and chopping potatoes for the mash. "Thanks for helping me cook, guys. Although a couple of my brothers and sisters have left on their Pokémon journeys, it still takes a long time to cook." 

"No problem, Brock," Misty began. "It's the least we can do for you putting us up for a few nights." 

"Though,"Ash said, wondering what kind of punishment Misty would wrought upon him if he finished his sentence. Ah, what the hell. Teasing her was so fun, and he knew she always got a kick out of it too. "I don't think Misty being involved in the preparation of food is such a good thing. She can't boil water." 

"Hey!" she said, outraged. "I'm a better cook than you." 

"Oh, you are, are you? Misty, do you not remember when you cooked last Monday, how you-" 

"Ah, yeah," she interrupted, embarrassed. "Well, the less said about that the better," she said through her giggles. 

Pikachu, currently sitting on top of the kitchen counter, trying to figure out the blender, broke into hysterics, remembering the event. Ash gave it a slightly annoyed look. He despised being laughed at, but that didn't stop his Pokémon. Exasperated, he turned back to Misty. "Exactly. It took me two days to stop throwing up," Ash teased. 

She turned away, noticeably embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise the chicken was off." 

"Yeah, and it was lucky I noticed that it didn't taste quite right before you ate any so you were absolutely fine," he sarcastically noted. 

"Yeah, but that's because you guzzle down food. At least **_I_** eat politely." 

"And it's the only polite thing about you," he spoke under his breath. 

"Oh, now you're gonna get it," Misty yelled, trying to sound angry, but her excitement was plainly evident. She jumped behind Ash, and started to tickle the sides of his stomach, the one place she knew he was most sensitive. The torture worked just as she had hoped. 

"Hey, stop it," he yelped, trying to stop her administrations. 

"Say mercy, and I'll stop," she tormented. 

Despite all he did, he couldn't stop Misty. He had only one option - surrender. But that would just meant he could get revenge. "Okay, mercy. Mercy!" 

"I win," she bragged, turning away from him, not realising her mistake. As soon as her attention was off him, he grabbed her by the waist, lifting her high into the air. 

"Now who's winning?" he laughed. 

"Ash, come on, please let me down!" Misty squealed, kicking her feet. 

Brock watched the two fool around, shaking his head. He hadn't seen them in a few months, and it seemed that even in that short time his friends' relationship had altered greatly. They had always been so close, despite the constant arguments, but now they were more connected than ever. It made him a little envious, he sadly had to admit to himself. Well, at least it also presented him with the opportunity to have a little fun. He smiled mischievously to himself. "Guys, could ya please stop flirting and help me with the dinner?" 

That did it. Instantly, Ash dropped Misty, and began awkwardly scratching the back of his head. Misty, meanwhile, turned beet red and attempted to regain her composure by starting to peel potatoes again, failing miserably. 

_Just as I suspected_,Brock sniggered to himself. _Aren't they so cute?_   


* * *

Misty lay on one of the beds in Brock's family's spare room, contemplating the dream she had that morning. The sense of strangeness that it had caused her to feel had dissipated, and now the memory of those few minutes in that beautiful forest, in Ash's embrace, filled her with warmth. 

She looked over to the bed at the other side of the small room. Ash, mere seconds after placing his sweet head upon the pillow, had passed out, Pikachu perched on his strong chest. She looked deep into his handsome face and noticed his eyes moving. _He must be dreaming_, she smiled. 

She moved onto her side and continued to stare at him. What was it that made her fall for him? Was it his handsome face that seemed to grow in perfection as he aged? Was it the way he seemed so mature one minute and contradicted himself the next by doing something infantile? Or was it his unwavering concern for for every living creature, Pokémon or Human? It was a part of everything she guessed. It was those things, and many more, that made him who he was, the person whom she loved more than life itself. 

She knew she couldn't go on for the rest of her life without him even knowing about her feelings. She had to tell him, regardless of the consequences. She knew that even if he didn't feel the same way, he wouldn't walk out on their friendship. They were too close. 

_I will tell him. I just have to wait for the right moment._

She felt her eyes droop and then close, a smile still resting upon her pink lips.   


* * *

Just as before, Ash felt a force controlling his body, but this time it lead him through a small bustling market. He looked at the people around him, then noticed his own clothes. They were like something out of a history lesson, and the style seemed to be medieval. He knew this couldn't be real. _I must be dreaming again._

Words began to filter into his brain, but they weren't his. It was like he was a passenger in someone else's head, experiencing the same thoughts and emotions. He concentrated upon the words, and the longer he listened, the clearer they came. What did they say? _I'm? Supposed? Here?_ They were still a little jumbled. _I'm not...to be...? _ Some of the words were a whisper, barely audible. He focused more. _I'm not supposed to be here?_ Was that it? _ I'm not supposed to be here?_ the thought was repeated. That was it. Why? _ They are my enemies_, he heard, almost as if this other mind was answering his question. He heard the mind continue, debating with itself. _I'm not supposed to be here. They are my enemies. If they find me, I'm dead. My kind aren't allowed here._

Ash was confused. His type? He would be dead if he was found? Who was this person? But before the enquiry was answered, he realised his eyes were focused upon a young woman, her head almost obscured with a silk veil, only allowing a few bangs of strikingly beautiful red hair escape from it's confines. Her face was shadowed by the fabric but he was able to see her milky skin and...and eyes of the most amazing aquamarine. 

_Misty?_ Ash thought. It was her, but she looked more sensational than he had ever saw her before. Although her face was hard to make out, the deep blue kimono hung awesomely on her curvaceous frame, showing every glorious part of her shape, emphasising the colour of her eyes and hair. 

He sensed the other person again, he in as much awe of her as Ash. But there was something else. He recognised her as well, but by another name. _Kasumi, the Imperial heir._

_What?_ Ash thought. _Kasumi? But...but she looks like Misty._

The legs began to move again, starting in the direction of the girl. Ash tried to stop them, but it seemed he had absolutely no control over this person. He was just a passenger, there to observe. It was like he was watching a memory. 

_Well, if I can't control anything, I might as well just sit back and enjoy the ride._

He came up from behind the young woman, who was fondly examining pieces of sumptuous fabric at one of the market stalls. _ What are you doing, Satoshi?_ the other voice spoke to himself. _ This is stupid._

_Satoshi?_ Ash thought. 

"Imperial Princess," he spoke softly, bowing at almost a 90 degree angle as she turned to him. As he rose, he looked into her face. She was indeed more beautiful than Ash had ever seen her. This was the Misty of his fantasies, he guessed. His perfect vision of her, created by his subconscious. His could feel his heart beat increase and his breathing pick up. Instantly, his desire for his friend increased ten-fold, and he could sense the same longing emanating from Satoshi. 

Kasumi smiled at him. "Good day, sir." She bowed too. 

Satoshi hesitated for a second. All he wanted was to see her face. He had not though of what to say to her. "I am a foreigner, visiting your land, and must express to you how impressed I am by what I have seen." 

"Thank you, er..." 

"Satoshi, Princess." 

The princess looked deeper into his eyes, concentrating on those hazel orbs, and he, in return, could feel the intensity of those aqua irises as they searched deep into his soul. "Please, call me Kasumi." Her cheeks darkened to pink. 

He tried to take his eyes from hers, but he could not help but to stare deeper. "Ah...miss...I feel I cannot. You are of Imperial blood and I am but a lowly peasant." 

"When I am here, among my people, I do not consider myself their princess. I am one of them. Their equal. They do not call me by my title, and neither should you." 

He smiled. "The stories I've heard of you are true, then. You are humble. I did not believe so until now." He thought for a moment. "If you believe you are an equal of the commoners, do you not consider yourself divine? It is said you family descends from the sun god himself." 

"I believe people are not superior to others due to the class their are born into but by the way the conduct themselves, and how much good they do." 

"You share my sentiments." 

"Unfortunately my family does not. They do not approve of me visiting the Imperial City and talking to the people." 

"But I take it you do not care whether they approve or not." 

Her smile widened even more. "Precisely." 

The two stood for a moment, unsure what to say. Kasumi looked down awkwardly at the ground, trying to disguise her reddening cheeks, but Satoshi couldn't take his eyes from her intoxicating grin, her pert, little nose and expressive eyes. 

"I like you, Satoshi. Despite my attempts, people still treat me as a princess, but you treat me as I wish." 

"I am glad I please you."   


* * *

Kasumi looked down upon the city from the lush green knoll. The scent of heather was heavy in the air, as if some unseen censer hung above them from a branch of the large cherry blossom tree. Bird chirps and insect buzzes mixed with the sweet sound of rushing water from the stream mere metres away. The bank was blanketed with hundreds of flowers of the most violent red, yellow and purple. Satoshi, however, was not distracted by sublime nature. His focus was upon her. She seemed to be perfectly in her element, surrounded by rich nature. He could now see her face fully, her silk veil now discarded upon the grass, her vibrant hair cascading down her back. She picked a delicate daisy from the bank, pulling each white petal tenderly off, throwing them into the stream. Some landed upon the lily pads, but others were carried off by the gentle waters. 

"I love this spot. I always come here when I wish to relax. It's so tranquil." She sighed, a slight tone of melancholy creeping in. "Just the perfect place to forget about all your worries." 

"The view is beautiful," he said, his gaze still focused upon her. 

She turned to him and again reddened. 

Satoshi moved closer to her, stroking her cheek fondly with the back of his fingers. "What's this?" he joked, "You are blushing." 

"By your design." 

"I am happy I can affect you so." 

She playfully shook her head. "Flirting with a princess. That is not allowed." 

"Yes, but I can see you enjoy it." 

She shyly turned from him. "Perhaps." She directed her eyes towards the stream, to where she could see bubbles popping upon the surface. "Watch," she told him while indicating the area. 

He turned and watched as she had told him. Seconds later, a small blue and white armless creature appeared, jumping up onto the bank. 

"A Poliwag as far as I can remember. We have a number of Pokémon at the palace. My sister Hoshi has a pet Vulpix. It's a cute little thing. She and one of her friends have friendly battles between each other, and I've heard that many people are taking up training Pokémon as a vocation." 

"I've heard that too, and have seen many battles, but...I'm not really that interested in it." 

Serene silence descended upon them for a few moments, the two young souls basking in each others presence. "Satoshi. Do you know the meaning of your name?" She didn't wait for a response, however. "Satoshi, 'Enlightened'." 

"Mmm. I don't think that suits me." 

"I would say you were enlightened. To begin with, you speak to me as an equal. Your are not held back by the stereotypical views that hold most of our fellow country men captive." 

He paused for a moment. "Maybe. And Kasumi means 'Mist'." 

"My parents could not choose more perfect a name. I love the ocean. It's so peaceful and romantic. I would love to travel the seas of our world...but my father would never allow that. He believes it is unladylike. Sometimes...I wish I hadn't been born into a royal family." She paused for a moment and lowered her head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't speak so heavily." 

He placed his hand gently upon her chin, raising her head to look at him. He looked at her with affectionate eyes. "Don't be. I know how hard it can be being from such a family." 

"You do?" she asked, confused as to his meaning. 

He realised his slip up. "Ah...it doesn't matter." He became serious once more. "You can talk to me about anything, you know that, don't you?" 

She looked deeper into his eyes. She had know him mere hours, but she felt that she could trust him with anything. She didn't know why. Despite the fact that her rational and dutiful self warned her against it, she couldn't help but be drawn in by this man. "Yes," she spoke softly, unable to break the intimate gaze they shared. 

She began to quake as he traced his fingers along her jawbone, then through her hair. His touch felt so intoxicating to her, producing emotions she thought she would never experience. 

Her skin was so soft and she had hair like silk. He knew the possible consequences of this, but he didn't care. He just wanted to give into his heart and forget reason. He came closer to her, laying his hand at the back of her neck, rubbing it tenderly. She began to move in as well, wallowing in his sensitive touch. He placed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "Kasumi," he whispered. 

"Satoshi." 

They touched lips, lightly at first before giving into their desires, deepening the kiss. Satoshi brought his hand from the back of her neck, and tenderly stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. 

After a moment, they withdrew from the kiss, placing their foreheads together again. Their eyes met, and a smile crossed each of their lips. All their troubles were forgotten, as if they had been swept away down the river along with the white petals.


	3. Chapter 3 Truth's Revealed

**_Death No Obstacle_**   
_by cultnirvana_

**Chapter Three - Truths Revealed**

* * *

Ash sat in Brock's living room, flicking over the television channels, not really focusing upon what was on. His mind was elsewhere, centred on the dream he'd had last night, of kissing Misty, or at least someone who was identical. He couldn't stop smiling thinking about it.

"Hey, Ash," Brock said as he walked into the room, sitting down next to him on the couch. 

"Hi," Ash cheerfully answered. 

After a brief pause, Brock said to his friend, an all knowing smile on his face, "So, Ash. You and Misty seem to be getting...close." 

"Ah, you think?" Ash replied awkwardly, a blush rising upon his cheeks. 

" Well, the two of you certainly seem a little bit friendlier than the last time I saw you guys. So tell me, is something going on between you two?" 

A smile spread across his lips. " I hope so." He silently looked at the floor for a moment before suddenly rising from his chair, and almost yelling, "God, Brock, what the hell am I going to do?! I love her!" 

Brock was taken aback by the comment. "Okay. I didn't expect that." He paused for a moment, then stood up, bringing his face level with Ash's. "I expected you to say something like 'I like her', but...your in love with her?" 

"Yeah," Ash giggled. " I didn't believe it myself at first, but I know for sure. I mean, before she left to go back to the Cerulean gym, I knew I had feelings for, but since we've been travelling again this past year again, those feelings have become a hell of a lot more intense. I can barely go a second without thinking about her. And, as impossible as it sounds, I think she may have feelings for me too." 

Though Brock had the same suspicions about Misty, he didn't want Ash to know that. He felt that they should find their own path, so his only option was to play dumb. "Eh?" 

"Well, it's just that...sometimes when we're together and our eyes meet, I can sense something from her. I just hope it isn't my imagination. I love her so much." 

Brock laughed at Ash's excitement. "That's great. So, are you going to tell her?" 

Ash fell back into his chair, a little dispirited, but his glee remaining. "I really want to, and I'm going to...when I pluck up the courage, and hopefully before I go insane with these emotions. I just hope I don't screw it up." 

"Just follow your heart and I'm sure everything will work out fine." 

"I just hope her heart is in the same place as mine."

* * *

It was now over two weeks since Kasumi had meet Satoshi, and almost everyday she had snuck out from the Imperial residence to be with him. And every single day had been heaven for her. He was so passionate and kind, and continued to treat her as no other person had in her life, as an equal. He had also given her more affection than anyone else, and she loved to just sit in his arms on their hill, and let him embrace her lips within his. 

She knew now that those feelings she had experienced that first day were not derived from the pleasure of disobeying her father and her class, and that Satoshi wasn't just a distraction from her normal, uneventful life. She truly loved him, however those emotions that he rose within her did not only give her supreme pleasure, but also immense pain. 

Since she had realised the full extent of her emotions, she had spent everynight crying herself to sleep. She felt trapped between her passion for the one she loved and the logic that told her they could never be together the way they dreamed. 

Kasumi stared at her reflection in the mirror as the maids adjusted her long hair. The silk, white kimono was the most marvellous dress she had ever seen, every embroidered detail enhanced by the luminescence of the fabric. It was amazing. 

"You look beautiful, sister." 

She turned and looked down towards her younger sister, who lay on her front upon Kasumi's bed, gazing at her in awe. She loved her little sister dearly. She was the only member of her family she shared any real closeness with. She was so innocent and happy, the tragedy of whom she was had not yet descended upon her as it had Kasumi. Hoshi coveted her maturity, but Kasumi envied her naivety. She tried to smile at the pre-teen, but the grin was noticeably fake. 

"Why do you look so sad, Kasumi? Aren't you looking forward to getting married next week? Paris will be an ideal husband. I just hope father chooses as well for me when my time comes." 

Hoshi excitement just amplified Kasumi's depression and anguish. She indicated for her maids to leave her, then sat next to her sister, eyes directed to the cold stone floor. 

Hoshi could easily perceive the melancholy within her sister's spirit. "Kasumi, what's wrong?" 

"I know father has decided upon an appropriate man as my husband, and I respect Paris, but...I can never love him." She felt tears well up within her eyes. "However...I am in love with another." 

"You love another man?!" 

She nodded and closed her eyes, causing the increasingly familiar salty liquid within them to drop onto the silk dress. 

"Who? Perhaps father will agree to cancel the wedding and allow you to be with this man." 

"He never will. You're too young to understand about the politics of our country. This marriage will gain another ally in our family's idiotic war with Johto. Also, he is a commoner. We are of different classes, and different classes are not permitted to marry." 

The once gleeful girl hung her head, somehow understanding her sister's despair within her young mind. "What will you do?" 

"I am not sure. I do not wish to marry someone whom I do not care for, but I cannot just leave my responsibilities. I agreed to the marriage. I made a promise to my people." 

"But you told me that love is more important than anything." 

"Yes, but not all loves are possible. Sometimes a romance is doomed, forces all around it seeking to destroy it. I wish for nothing more than to be with Satoshi 'til my last breath, but I cannot see how that is possible. I am condemned to never be with him." At that point, the emotions she'd been holding within her assaulted her with the power of a tsunami. Hoshi sat up upon the bed and wrapped her arms around Kasumi, unsure what else she could do to help her sister. 

"Hoshi," Kasumi whispered through her sobs, "do not tell anyone of this." 

"Of course, sister." She placed her hand over her heart. "It is our secret." 

"Thank you."

* * *

Again the two sat upon the hill, Satoshi with his arms around Kasumi. But she wouldn't relax in his arms as she usually did. There was something wrong, and he was sure of the reason. "Are you okay, Kasumi?" 

She just sat there for a moment, unsure what to say, how to admit this to him. She still didn't know what to do. She didn't want to betray her family by refusing a marriage that had been decided upon fifteen years previously, but was it any better to betray her own heart? "Satoshi, I need to tell you something. In one week...I'm to be married." 

Instead of the reaction she expected, Satoshi just held her a little closer, and sadly said, "I know." 

"You do?" she uttered, masking none of her shock. 

"It's hard not to when the whole city is excitedly planning the wedding of their beloved princess." 

She began to shake. "I'm so sorry, Satoshi. I don't want to get married. I want to just get away from all of this and begin a new life..." she looked into his eyes, "...a new life with you. But my family would never allow me. They do not care about how I feel. All they care about is our family's reputation and fighting with Johto." Unrestrained, Kasumi let her tears fall. "I just want to run away" 

He turned her around, wiping the tears away from her face, and looked deep into her eyes, displaying to her all the love he held. "Then, why don't we? Why don't we just run away, leave Kanto, and go somewhere where we can be together?" 

Although his proposal tempted her beyond belief, her conscience could not rest. "I cannot. I cannot betray my people. If I became Empress I could do something to change our country. I could stop the war. That is something I have always wished to do. I cannot put myself first when so many people are suffering." 

"Why not? You have been putting others first your entire life, and I cannot see your family doing the same. You deserve to have the freedom you have always dreamed of. If we elope, we can travel across all the oceans of the world, to see those things you have only read about in books. We would be free to marry and be with each other. Please, Kasumi. I plead to the logical part of your soul to let your passionate side win." 

Her trembling subsided, and her clouded mind was replaced with one of total clarity. "I do not wish to live in captivity anymore," she uttered, succumbing to his pleas, a smile finally coming to rest upon those lips he loved so much. 

He joined her in the grin, placing his lips softly upon hers. But after the kiss was broken, his expression turned wholly serious once again. "But it will be dangerous." He hesitated for a moment. "I have a confession as well, though I fear mine is much more grave. I am not truly the man you think I am." 

She instantly let go of his hand and moved away. "Wh...what?" 

He just pressed forward with his news, the words he had tried to express to her so many times before. "I am named Satoshi, but I am not a peasant. I am the son...of the Emperor of Johto." 

Kasumi backed further away from her, noticeably shaken from his revelation. "What? Why...why didn't you tell me?" 

He crawled over to her, grabbing her hands, frightening her with his speed. "Because I was afraid you would hate me. I love you, Kasumi, and I don't care who you are or what family you are from! The war between our people is idiotic, you have said so yourself! Just because you are the daughter of my father's enemy doesn't stop me from loving you! I want to be with you for the rest of my life, and am willing to give up everything for that to happen. I just hope you feel the same." 

Kasumi just stared into his eyes, shocked at the passion concealed within his words. He was right, every thread of her hated the war and desired it's end. So why should it matter where he was from? It didn't, and she loved him too much to even care. Yes, she was hurt that he hadn't been honest with her, but hadn't she done the same thing? She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his body tightly to hers. "Of course I feel the same. And I love you too, Satoshi. You do not know how much." 

"I do, as I love you just equally."

* * *

Ash walked around the house, feeling ontop of the world. Everything just seemed a little rosier the past couple of days, like nothing could bring him down. The dreams he'd been experiencing almost every night had kept him in this perpetually happy mood. 

He stepped out into the back garden to see Misty feeding their Pokémon. Standing by the house, he silently watched her for a few minutes, marvelling at her demeanour. She was so gentle and caring to the Pokémon, it almost made him forget about her tempestuous side. 

She had changed so much over the past few years. She had always been beautiful, but, now fully grown, she had truly blossomed. Her red hair had grown a little longer, but not by much, and she always kept a few bangs down around her face, framing her delicate features. Her once slight build had been replaced by one that was both effeminate and athletic. She had even began to dress a little more feminine, though she rarely ventured into wearing skirts or dresses. 

He walked up to her and the Pokémon, sitting on his haunches so that he could pet Pikachu. "Hey, Mist." 

"Hi," she replied cheerfully. 

Ash began to watch her again, mesmerised. 

Noticing his attention, she began to blush. "What?" 

"Nothing. I was just thinking about how much I missed you those two years. My journey wasn't the same without you. I just glad you were there the day I became a Pokémon Master." 

"How could I miss it? It was the most important day in your life. I wanted to be there for you, and, of course, to help you celebrate." 

"Thanks." 

"Ash?" 

"Yeah, Mist?" 

She turned to him, displaying that enchanting smile of hers. "I really appreciate you helping me out on my journey. It would have been really lonely if I was travelling on my own." 

"It's no problem. And you did the same for me. God knows what would have happened to me if you hadn't helped me." 

She laughed. "You were really bad at the beginning. You had a hell of a lot to learn." 

"Yeah, but now I'm a Master, so I must have learnt fast." 

"You are a great trainer." 

It was now Ash's time to laugh. "That's a change. You always used to slag my skills off, saying that I'd get nowhere." 

"Yeah, but you've proved me wrong now. And you know I only said those things 'cause I was angry about you blowing up my bike." 

"I know. So, have you forgiven me for that yet?" 

"Not until you buy me a new one, which I'm sure you can well afford on a Pokémon Master's salary." 

"Don't worry. I promise." 

"Your promised me that seven years ago." 

* * *

The two sat under the shade of an Oak tree, in the full bloom of summer. The sun was beginning to set, so, as not to loss their way, they had decided to rest there on the first night of their journey. Although they had made a distance of several miles from the imperial city, safety was many months away by foot, but they could not risk using any other transport for fear of being discovered. 

Kasumi leaned a little closer to her saviour, happy to feel his strong arms hold her. "I can not believe we did it. We got away." She looked into his chocolate-brown eyes. 

"We aren't safe yet," he added solemnly. "We will not be for a while. We have a long and difficult journey ahead of us, my love." 

"I know, but as long as I have you by my side, I know I have the strength to get through anything." She smiled at him, destroying any anxiousness he felt. 

"I love you so much, and I'll do anything to be with you for the rest of my life." 

"I love you, too." She pulled him into a passionate kiss, more passionate that the few they had shared before, for now they felt truly free together for the first time since they met. He pulled his lips from her, but before she could protest, lowered them to her neck, and then onto her shoulder, moving the silky fabric of her dress to reveal her skin. She began to moan softly, the feel of his soft lips delicately nipping at her flesh. 

"I want you, Satoshi. Now we're finally free, I want to feel you. Please take me, my love." 

He needed no persuasion. He traced his hands down to the band around her waist, and pulled at it, opening her dress to reveal her light, almost see-though undergarments. "My love, you are divine. You are my goddess, the one whom I worship." 

The two made love for the first time under the full moon, their pleasure-filled moans and gasps filtering into the night air, joining the sounds of nature from the surrounding forest. 

* * *

Ash walked into the kitchen of Brock's family home, narrowly avoiding being pushed to the floor by three pre-teens rushing out the door. 

"No running in the house!" Brock bellowed at his siblings, but it didn't seem to slow the kids down any. "Ah, what's the use," he said under his breath. 

"Hey, Brock-o." 

"Morning, Ash. Breakfast will be ready in a few moments." 

"Ah, great." Ash awkwardly paced around the room, his thumbs fumbling with each other, trying to think of a way to approach the subject. "Eh, Brock? Could I talk to you about something?" 

"Sure. What is it?" he asked, pouring miso soup into several breakfast bowls. 

Ash shoved his fidgeting hands into his trouser pockets, trying not to let his embarrassment show. "Well, it's actually about Misty." 

"Oh." Brock directed his full attention to his friend. 

"Well...erm...it's kinda...awkward." Ash's faced began to turn beet red. 

Brock chuckled. " What the hell are you talking about, Ash?" 

"Have you ever...eh...had an..." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "...intimate dream about a friend?" 

Brock almost burst out laughing. "Aww, little Ashy-boy is growing up," he said loudly. 

Ash panicked, forcing a hand over Brock's wide open mouth. "Shhh! I don't want her to hear about this." 

"Don't worry, Ash. It's perfectly normal. Everyone has those kind of dreams." 

"Yeah, but this one was about Misty, you know, my best friend. The girl I'm secretly in love with. And it was very...eh...erotic and...passionate." 

"Oh." Brock continued to giggle, embarrassing his friend even more. 

"I feel terrible, thinking of her in that way. I feel I've violated her or something." 

"Don't worry, man. You shouldn't feel that way. For a start, it was a dream and you couldn't control it. Secondly, you're in love with her, so obviously she is your fantasy." 

"She's definitely that." He thought for a moment, staring at the tiled floor. "But...that wasn't the first dream I've had about her lately." 

"You mean you've had other sexual dreams about her?" 

"Not sexual. Last night was the first time that happened. But they have been quite intimate. I've been dreaming that we're lovers, but the strange thing is...I'm not really dreaming about us." 

"Now you've lost me. You tell me last night that you dreamt about making love to Misty, but it wasn't really her?" 

"Physically it's her, and her personality is very similar, but she not Misty. She's Kasumi, this emperor's daughter, and I'm Satoshi, the son of her father's enemy. She was meant to be getting married, but we eloped, and last night kinda...consumated our love." 

"A bit like Romeo and Juliet." 

"Yeah. But I've got no idea why I'm not dreaming of getting together with the real Misty. I'm totally confused." 

Brock scratched his chin, contemplating the situation. "Maybe...it's to prevent you from feeling some of the guilt. By pretending she's someone else it's almost like you're not fantasising about her." 

"Maybe, but when I'm Satoshi, I can feel that he has exactly the same love for Kasumi as I do for Misty." Ash's smile fell from his face. 

"You okay?" 

"Yeah," he sighed. 

"This is really breaking you up." 

"It's just hard to see her everyday and know that she may never be able to share my feelings for her." 

Brock placed his hand upon his friend's shoulder, rubbing it supportively. "You never know. Your suspicious could be right." Brock paused for a moment, wondering how to phrase the question he wanted to ask. "Ash. I know this maybe a little personal, but...have you slept with anyone before?" 

Ash shook his head, a little abashed. "No. I've been in love with Misty for so long that I've never wanted to find someone else. Other girls just pale in comparison to her." 

Brock smiled. "That's sweet." He turned his attention back to breakfast, and Ash quickly sat down at the large table. 

"Morning, guys," Misty called as she came into the kitchen. 

"Good morning, Misty," Brock gleefully replied. 

"Hey, Mist," Ash replied awkwardly. He kept his eyes in front of him, trying not to look at her, but she walked towards him, taking the seat next to him at the table. He turned to her, his eyes unable to look into her face from embarrassment. He began to blush more heavily, the images from his dream filtering back into his mind. He glanced at her hands, laid across her lap, fiddling with her fingers anxiously. "You, okay?" 

Misty almost jumped at his words, obviously in a distant world of her own. She looked straight into his eyes with a nervous excitement, her cheeks reddened as well. "Who, me? I'm fine. Why?" 

"Ah, no reason." He quickly turned away from her, worried that she would be able to read his indiscretion within his orbs. Though, he did wonder why she was acting so strangely, somewhat happy but coy. 

Brock looked backwards towards his friends, almost snickering at the situation. Two people so in love but so oblivious to the others feelings, despite that fact they knew each other better than their own mothers did. But then again, he was an outsider so had a fresher prospective, able to see the seemingly obvious. He just wished he could help the two realise the truth, but that would be intervening fate. He shook his head, unsure what to do.


	4. Chapter 4 Tragedy

_This is the chapter that has the more severe scenes, so just a little warning. I think it will be okay as a PG-13, but may be an R._

* * *

**_Death No Obstacle_**   
_by cultnirvana_

**Chapter 4 - Tragedy**

* * *

Misty found herself as Kasumi again. She wasn't sure how much time had passed between this and her last dream. It always seemed like her subconscience was only showing her the most important events in this romance story it was creating for her. She thought again of the last time, the erotic dream her mind had produced, the feeling of having his arms caress her, kissing her soft skin with his delicate lips. It seemed that Kasumi was thinking of the same night, and Misty was able to tell, from the memories she was able to access from her, there had been many more such nights. She was also able to discover that it had been three months since then, and something had changed for the better. 

Over the past few months Kasumi hadn't been well. She was constantly nauseous and often found it hard to keep food down, but Kasumi was glad of this sickness, and Misty could tell why. 

She was pregnant. She wasn't sure at first, but now it was definite. 

The nausea passed over her again, but quickly subsided. Kasumi placed her hand upon her belly, which was now beginning to swell, though was still almost unnoticeable. _I have to tell him._

She walked to their temporary camp, where Satoshi was cooking over the fire. She came up behind him, embracing him with her loving arms, resting her head upon his shoulder. 

"Satoshi, my love?" 

"Hai, Sumi-chan?" 

"I have something to tell you." A sudden wave of nervousness overcame her as she moved to knell before him, staring straight into his dark eyes. She brought his right hand down to touch her abdomen. "You're going to be a father." 

Instantly, she saw his eyes fill with shock. He looked down towards her belly and started to stroke it with his hand. He lifted his face again, his confused facade being replaced by a smile. " Kasumi," he whispered. He pulled her into a tight embrace. "I cannot believe this. This is...this is amazing. We are going to be parents." The words came out at a mumbled pace. "Oh, gods! I cannot believe it. A baby! Our baby!" he laughed, reflecting the pure joy that had overtaken him. 

Kasumi began to echo his laugh, wrapping her arms around his neck, bringing him down into a passionate kiss. 

_This must be shortly before that first dream, Misty thought._

* * *

Ash sat in the living room, Misty next to him upon the couch, Pikachu in his lap, and Brock in one of the other chairs. He was trying to concentrate on the movie that was flickering upon the television screen, but his mind continually drifted to his dreams and his feelings for his travelling partner. However, these musings were interrupted by a tender pressure upon his shoulder. He looked down to see Misty, her eyes closed, resting her head gently on his shoulder. She looked so peaceful, so serene, just like an angel, bangs of intensely red hair covering her alabaster skin. 

"Is she asleep?" Brock asked. 

"Yeah." Ash loved the contact, but he knew that if she stayed like this for long, her neck muscles would ache. It would be better for her to get a decent sleep. It was after one am anyway. "I think I should carry her up to bed, let her have a good rest, and I may turn in as well." 

Brock gave Ash suggestive glance, to which Ash just smiled. After placing Pikachu on his other shoulder, he gently rose, making sure not to allow Misty to fall over, no longer having him for support. He then placed a hand on her back and another under her knees, lifting her up, though not easily. She was a lot heavier than he thought she would be, probably on account of her fascination with desserts. Misty thought that the only reason for eating dinner was to get to the dessert that usually followed it, especially if it contained chocolate. 

As he exited the room, he felt her stir a little in her sleep, unconsciously putting her arms around his neck for support. Her face was mere inches from his. He could feel her tender breath upon his cheek. Fighting off the urge to kiss those perfect, pink lips of hers, like he had done so many times in his fantasies, he started to walk. _God, she's such a temptress,_ he decided. 

After struggling up the stairs, he softly placed her upon her bed, pulling the blanket up to her neck. He brushed the last strands of hair from her face, wanting to take one long last look at her before he retired to bed, now that he could stare without anyone knowing. 

He could see the bulge of her irises and pupils roam under the surface of her eyelids, and a small smile rise over those lips. _She must be dreaming_, he reflected. On the spur of the moment, entranced by her beauty, he bent down and placed a delicate kiss upon her forehead. For a second, he regretted the action, as it seemed to rouse her further, but luckily she did not wake. 

He motioned towards his own bed, but his attention was drawn back entirely to her when he heard her utter a single whispered word. "Satoshi." 

_What?_ his mind screamed at him. How did she know that name? That was the name of his character in his dreams. Why had she just vocalised it? 

But why wouldn't she know the name? It wasn't as if the name was solely resigned to the realm of his reveries. She could have heard the name anywhere, and could be saying it for absolutely any reason. And was he even sure he had heard the correct word? She could've said 'biscotti' for all he knew. 

Satisfied that his tired mind was most likely playing tricks with him, he walked over to his bed, setting a sleeping Pikachu upon his mattress before continuing out to the bathroom to get dressed. 

* * *

The two young lovers lay on the forest ground, enfolded within each others arms. Satoshi held his hand upon Kasumi's now visibly swollen belly, pushing her top up slightly so that he could feel her bare skin. It was the beginning of their forth month of travelling, and finally it seemed that their journey was coming to an end. 

"About another week and we'll be safe. We can get married and have our baby in safety," he promised. 

"I can't believe I am over three months already," she giggled. "I cannot wait to meet whom ever this is." She placed her hand upon his. 

"We still have over six months." 

"I am sorry. I am just so exited." 

He kissed her. "I know what you mean." 

They sank again into the comfortable silence, but a noise resembling footfalls broke the cessation. 

Kasumi jumped in his arms. "Did you hear that?" she whispered, clearly unnerved. 

Satoshi just stroked her hair, unaffected but the noises. "Don't worry. It's probably just a wild Pokemon." 

She let herself fall back into his arms, but after a short moment, the noise came once more. "I heard it again." 

This time Satoshi was a little more weary of the clamour. 

"What is it, Sato-chan?" 

"I'm not sure." 

As if to answer their uncertainty, four men, dressed in military garb, each armed with a katana, revealed themselves from amongst the dense foliage of the forest, leaving the pair no avenue for escape. They both stood, unsure what to do. 

All of the men stared at Satoshi, recognising his face as their enemy. One of the men, the obvious leaded of the group, kneeled and bowed in front of Kasumi, momentarily touching his head to the ground. "Your honourable father has ordered us to search for you, and now we are here to save you from this man. You need not worry. He will pay for kidnapping you," he said, his words tainted with bitterness. 

"But he has not harmed me. I love him." 

The men looked on, confused at her words, all thinking the same thing, that their princess had been corrupted by this demon. It was then they viewed her exposed belly, able to observe the bump. "Princess," they quietly uttered, the shock evident in their voices. 

Angered, the soldier who stood behind them walked up to Satoshi, putting his katana to Satoshi's neck. "By order of Emperor Yawa, I place you under arrest for the kidnapping of Princess Kasumi. If you do not comply I will have no option but to put you to death here." Satoshi didn't even struggle. There was no option of escape. 

* * *

Kasumi was marched into the court, guards almost dragging her as she tried to resist them. They lead her to a small, slightly elevated, pulpit, barricaded from the rest of the court by a wooden railing. The royal court looked up towards her, their disdain for their once beloved heiress evident. She studied those discompassionate faces, recognising many of them, but found herself coming across a sympathetic one. Hoshi, tear stains upon her face, gazed at her sister with eyes of sadness and love. Looking at her, she felt the first and only trace of guilt at what she had done. She forced a smile through her distress, hoping to diminish some of Hoshi's depression. The girl was barely able to return the grin. 

Their attention was distracted, however, when her father, the Emperor, entered through the double doors to the side, an entire entourage following him. He stood directly in front of her, but didn't even wish to glance upon his daughter. "Bring in the prisoner," he bellowed. 

The side door was instantly pushed aside, and a group of imperial guards lead Satoshi in. He was bound, shackled and had been beaten. 

"Satoshi!" she screamed, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. She turned to her father, enraged. "What have you done to him?" 

The Emperor did not even care to answer her. "My daughter," he began, shame and hate in his tone, "though I never wish to call you so again. You have betrayed our nation and your ancestry. You allowed this man, an enemy of your family and country, to brainwash and defile you, to impregnate you with his bastard child. No man will ever wish for you as his wife. You have ruined yourself." 

"I don't care, father," she said with clear disdain. "I never wished to marry Paris. I don't love him. The only person I can ever love is Satoshi, regardless of what family he belongs to." She looked towards her lover, smiling at him through her tears. 

"Kasumi, don't you see how this evil demon has controlled you?" her father pleaded. "He has been sent here to upset our throne, to ruin our family, so that his kind can take over Kanto and turn our people into slaves." 

"No he hasn't! We love each other. I know he is not an evil man. He wishes to stop this endless bloodshed, to end this idiotic war and to save both the lives of those in Kanto and Johto. He is an honest and true man, and-" 

"Enough, Kasumi," he shouted, unable to listen to her words. "Do you not see how he has brainwashed you? He does not care for you. His people are demons. They only wish to destroy us, and he will be severely punished for his crimes." He turned to Satoshi. "For illegally entering our sovereign nation, kidnapping and raping the heiress of the throne, we, the royal court, sentence you to the only punishment that can truly equal the crime you have committed - death." 

At the announcement, a cheer erupted among those gathered. Satoshi lowered his head. The outcome did not surprise him. It was what he had suspected and had prepared himself for. But he didn't care about his own fate. He only cared for Kasumi and their unborn child. 

"No," Kasumi whispered, disbelief filling her. "No!" This time she found the strength to shout at her father. "No! I won't let you take him." She began to struggle, but the guards surrounding her held her in place. "Let me go!" 

"Also," the Emperor continued, causing near silence in the court once more, "the result of this vile rape will suffer the same fate as it's father." 

Kasumi halted her struggles. She didn't think he was heartless enough to kill his own grandchild, an innocent, unborn infant. Shock filtered into her already weaken body, making her tremble. "No, please, no. Don't kill our baby," she whispered, trying to find the strength to speak louder, but not finding the voice she needed. 

"Kasumi!" As Satoshi was dragged from the court, he made an attempt to grasp her hand, succeeding, refusing to let them take him away, at least for a moment or so. "I promise you we will be together again. I don't know when or how, but I know it will happen. I love you and the child we created more than anything. Please, remember that." 

"Satoshi!" she screamed, now able to shake some of the shock from her mind. She broke down in tears one again, losing all the hope she held in her heart. "Satoshi, I love you!" 

But he didn't hear her last words to him. The doors that they had lead him though banged shut, tearing the two young lovers apart. 

* * *

Satoshi knew he couldn't do anything. There were too many guards around him, almost dragging him along the dusty path. He was lead into the town square, already crowded by the people of the city, some of whom chanted for his death, others that looked upon him with a gentle continence. 

The guards threw him upon the dirt ground, and one pulled a katana from it's shield. The man tried to taunt Satoshi with the blade, letting the sun glint upon it's smooth surface, hoping to make the corruptor beg for mercy. But he just pulled himself from the ground, sitting upon his knees, hoping to regain some dignity. Yes, he was afraid. He was terrified of the death that was only seconds away, but he would not give these men or the angry looker-ons the pleasure of seeing him cry. He closed his eyes, trying to make a final peace with himself. 

It was then that he felt the cool metal push through the skin on the left side of his abdomen, and on into his flesh.

* * *

Ash almost jumped from his bed. He sat bolt up, trying to draw a breath. He was drenched in sweat, the sheets clinging to his body, his heart beating faster than he had ever felt before. He clamped his hand over his stomach, so sure he could still feel the pain of the sword. He hastily lifted his T-shirt and studied the area, but there was no mark. 

He could still feel the emotions Satoshi had been experiencing, and that agony made his tears threatened. "Oh, god," he whispered. How could it end like that? What was his subconscious playing at, doing this to him? He gripped onto the sheets of his bed, trying to concentrate upon his breathing, hoping to slow down his heart rate. After a few minutes, his body and mind began to relax. He lay back down upon the bed, but as he tried to sleep again, a moaning noise from the other side of the room caught his attention. 

He turned his head to look towards Misty. She was shuffling in her bed, muttering in her sleep. Ash looked closer at her and realised she was crying. "Misty?" 

* * *

They pulled her, screaming into her room, the servants holding her down on the bed, causing the skin on her arms to open and bleed. But despite the pain they caused her, she did not stop her insane struggles. With every second she fought back more viciously, biting one man's arm so hard the red, life-giving liquid spilled, scratching at another's eyes. She wouldn't let them touch her, touch her child. It was all she had left of him. She couldn't let it die. Wouldn't! 

But the guards were too strong for her. Within moments they had her held so tightly that she could barely move. One of the maidens pushed a small container of purple liquid to her lips, but Kasumi didn't let a drop of the vile smelling concoction pass into her mouth, knowing the harm it would do their innocent baby. It just rolled off her chin onto her dress. 

The hard-faced woman attempted to pry her mouth open, but still Kasumi resisted, although she felt the strength drain from her sore body. Giving up her futile tries, the woman moved off to the table of poisons, picking up a bottle filled with clear liquid and pouring a little onto a cloth before moving towards the bed again. The cloth was then placed upon Kasumi's face, covering both her nose and mouth, and before she could prevent it, she gulped in the polluted air. 

The vapour gave it's desired effect. Within seconds she felt all her remaining energy pass out of her body. Her lids became heavy and her flailings all but stopped. She couldn't even raise her arm to stop the cup from touching her lips. She felt the poison slip down her throat and into her stomach. She knew that she couldn't win. She just lay back on the soft bed, unconsciousness overtaking her. But before she surrendered to it's warmth she looked down at her swollen belly. I'm sorry, she said to their dying child. 

* * *

She awoke on her bed, weak and shaking. She didn't want to move. To move would be like confirming what had happened was real. But what was the use in hoping that it had all been a dream. She knew the truth. 

A painful spasm instantly erupted in her belly. She looked down towards the ache, and suddenly it struck her. They had succeeded. They had destroyed her life, taking away two of the only things she cared about in the world - the man she loved and the child he had given her. 

She slowly sat up and stared at the blood-soaked white sheets. Their child didn't even have a chance. The sour tasting liquid that they had forced down her throat had caused their child to miscarriage. She tentatively touched the dampness, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "No. No!" She quickly withdrew her hand, pushing herself away from stain to the head of the bed, as if distancing herself from it would make it less real. 

But she knew it wouldn't. Nothing could. The tears and pain in her mind dissipated as she realised this fact. There was nothing she could do for those two souls now, nor for her own. Now she knew she had to punish those that had punished her for falling in love with the son of the enemy, and end her own torment. There was only one thing she had left to do. 

She climbed from the bed, standing on the soft rug by it's side, but her weak legs could not hold her. She collapsed upon it, grazing both knees. But the pain did not bother her. Her senses had been numbed in her desperate search for the object that held the key to her wish for revenge. She crawled along the ground until she got to her dressing table, pulled out the drawer that she kept hair brushes and other similar items in, and withdrew a mirror with a long golden handle. She slowly made her way to the bed again, and wrapped the silvered glass with it's sheets. When sufficiently cushioned, she, with all the force her frail body could muster, hit the package against the corner of her bedside table. It fractured into pieces without making a noticeable noise, ensuring no interruptions from the guards she was sure her family would have placed outside to look after here. 

She enshrouded the mirror from it's material container and searched for a piece large enough for the task she would place upon it. Just in the centre was such a piece, surrounded by smaller segments. She picked it out, pulled herself upon her bed again, and sat directly in the middle, her legs pointed to the end of the bed. She looked at her pale face within the chosen fragment, a final vis a vis with herself. She saw a smiling, happy face stare back at her, one with total clarity of mind, knowing that soon all the pain would end. But also a facade of grief, depression and hate that represented the hardships she had been put through by her own blood. 

She took her eyes from the familiar, but beaten, young features, and looked towards her wrists. The purple-blue life-carrying vessels stood prominent of her milky white skin, showing the distress her system had been through in the last few hours. She slowly lowered the sharp instrument to the area, every centimetre transversed adding to her happiness. The anguish would be over soon, and she would be able to join the one she loved again, whether it was in the afterlife or another possibility described in religious dogma. 

The cool glass touched her outer tissue. The contact felt like the embrace of a lover, intimate and soothing. She added a little more pressure to the fragment, and felt it slice through each individual layer of skin, until it reached deep enough to provoke her blood to rise, collecting in the incision until the small cut could no longer hold the red liquid. It began to flow like a stream over her arm, dropping delicately onto her white clothes and bed sheet. She was intrigued by the beautiful sight. It was as if all pain was lifted from her mind and body, drifting away like an autumn leaf in the breeze. A feeling of pure ecstasy enveloped her body as she began to feel herself be drawn from the mortal coil. 

She pushed harder into her flesh, cutting the veins in her open wrist. The blood began to gush freer. She turned her attention to the other wrist, placing the mirror piece in her injured hand. Again, she placed a sharp edge to her skin and pressed down. This time it was harder to break the skin, her weak arm not having enough strength to make the fatal gash. She pulled the makeshift blade back and forward, sawing into the soft flesh until the wrist bled as satisfactorily as the other. Her last wish complete, she dropped the instrument and lay down upon the bed, looking down to see the fresh blood mingle with the blood that had been their child. 

The room before her began to fade to black, signalling her departure. She gasped as she fell further out of the world of the living. The image still remained for another moment. The last thing she saw before her blue-green eyes closed forever was two guards rushing in, no doubt alerted by her gasps, and her young sister standing behind the door, staring at her in shock. With her last remaining ounce of strength she mouthed the words "I love you, my sister," to her. 

* * *

"Misty! Misty, wake up!" 

The dream world vanished from her vision to be replaced by the spare room they were staying in. Ash sat over her, panic overriding his face. 

"Are you okay, Misty?!" 

"I...I..." she stuttered. She sat up slightly, bringing a hand to her face. Her cheeks were damp with tears. The dream, no nightmare, that she had just witnessed must have evoked enough emotion within her to make her weep in her sleep. She looked again into Ash's concerned face. 

"You must have been having a bad dream or something. You were screaming and rolling about. It's taken me over five minutes to wake you. I was really worried." Ash spoke the several sentences in one breath, his worry evident, and tears in his eyes. "How do you feel?" 

"I think...I'm alright," she lied. The events of the last dream continually played in her mind's eye, effecting her more than a fantasy designed by her imagination should. 

"You sure?" 

"Yeah," she forced a smile. "Get some sleep, Ash. It was just a..." she hesitated before continuing, "...dream." 

* * *

_Well, one more to go. Please, please, please R & R. Check back next week for the final chapter. Luv ya all, cultnirvana._


	5. Chapter 5 Revelations

**_Death No Obstacle_** _  
by cultnirvana_

**Chapter 5 - Revelations**

* * *

Ash had barely said a thing to Misty since the night before when he woke her from the nightmare. Come to think of it he hadn't really said much to anybody, even Pikachu. He just seemed to be in a bit of a daze. But then again so was she. Her mind was still replaying the happenings of that dream. She could feel the tension between them, but she was too afraid to ask Ash what was wrong.  
  
They walked past the Viridian City limits and onto the street they knew lead to the Pokémon Centre. After a few short blocks, they arrived at their destination. The group walked towards the reception desk, dodging several trainers that stood in their way. The centre was rarely this busy.  
  
"Hi. Could we have a double room please, Nurse Joy?" Ash asked.  
  
Joy looked towards Ash, instantly recognising him. "I'm sorry, Master Ash, but there is a major competition tomorrow, so all of the rooms are occupied for the night. However, I can look after your Pokémon until tomorrow if you wish."  
  
"Thanks." They both collected their Pokeballs, Ash remembering to keep Snorlax incase of an emergency. He then picked up Pikachu, sitting him down upon the desk.  
  
Pikachu looked up at Ash, confused at why he was going to leave him behind. "Chu Chu?"  
  
"It would be better for you to stay here tonight, Pikachu, where you can be warm and comfortable. Don't worry, me and Misty will be okay."  
  
"Pika," he agreed, happily jumping into Joy's arms.  
  
"See you tomorrow, Pikachu." Misty rubbed in between the rodent's ears as her way of saying goodbye.  
  
"Bye," Ash called back as he walked to exit the centre.  
  
"Pika pika!" he squeaked, waving.  
  
Ash and Misty searched for a safe place to stay for the night, still saying little, finally deciding upon an area slightly within the forest to the north of the city. "I can't believe all of the hotels are full up. Just our luck we arrive here when there's a competition. I thought maybe the Pokémon Master would have some kinda sway."  
  
"Yeah, but I don't wanna kick people outta there rooms. Don't worry. We should make it to Pallet by tomorrow night if we get an early start."  
  
Silence spread over the two again for a short while as they arranged their sleeping bags. After a few moments, Misty said, "I have a few things to pick up in the city before we move on. I shouldn't be that long."  
  
"Okay, he answered, giving her a weak smile.

* * *

Misty was still unnerved after the dream. She couldn't believe that something that had started out so hopeful had ended in such tragedy, and that it had affected her so much? It was only a dream. Why had she become so attached to it?  
  
But it had always felt like something different to a fantasy. Everything had felt so real, like she was actually Kasumi. She had even experienced physical pain and pleasure. In any other dream she had had in all her eighteen years that had never happened. It couldn't have just been a story created by her mind. It may have sounded stupid, but she was beginning to believe, now that it was over, that it was somehow more.  
  
On a whim, she headed to the city's library. She didn't know why, but it seemed her mind was suddenly seized by the desire to find out, once and for all, what had been happening over the past while in her subconscious world, and this was where her instincts had lead. She instantly headed to the history section, and after scanning the titles of several books, she took one from the shelf that she somehow new would have the answer - _'The History of Kanto, 1000-1400'.  
_  
She sat down at one of the desks, and flicked through the aged pages to the the correct period, the 1240's. And there she saw the name of someone she knew, Emperor Yawa, Kasumi's father in her dreams. But that didn't prove anything, just because one of the characters in her imaginings had the name of an ancient emperor. She had heard the surname countless times before.  
  
She centred her attention upon the paragraph that contained the name and read down.  
  
_ 'Emperor Yawa was succeeded in 1256 by the husband of his second daughter, Empress Hoshi-'  
_   
Misty instantly stopped reading. "Hoshi," she whispered. That was a second coincidence.  
  
_ '-after the suicide nearly ten years previously of his oldest child, Kasumi."  
_   
Misty could feel herself begin to shake. That couldn't be a coincidence. But that didn't mean anything. She looked down at the page again and noticed that after the name 'Kasumi', there was a reference to another page within the book. She flipped to the specified page and began to read again.  
  
_ 'One of the best known medieval romances from Kanto is the story of two star-crossed lovers, Kasumi and Satoshi, the oldest children of two rival regions, Kanto and Johto. It is unknown how the young lovers met, but just a week before Kasumi's planned marriage, the two eloped, and attempted to travel out of the Kanto region. However, after a few a months, they were tracked down and captured. Satoshi was executed, and Kasumi was forced to miscarriage the baby she was carrying. After losing the man she loved and their child, Kasumi committed suicide, unwilling to live without them.'  
_   
She must've heard this story before, read it somewhere and adopted it into her fantasy. Maybe she saw a parallel between their forbidden love affair and her unrequited love for Ash - two relationships that could never be fully realised.  
  
She looked on down and noticed that the entry went onto the next page. She turned...and what confronted her shocked her to the very core. Misty dropped the book onto the table, the sound reverberating around the library.  
  
She studied the two paintings on the page, one of Kasumi, the other of Satoshi. But...they looked exactly like her and Ash. Her whole body was quivering. _How...how can they look like us. It's...it's just not possible._ She forced herself to look at the book again, and to read the next passage of the entry.  
  
_'For years after their tragic deaths, a number of people have claimed to be Kasumi and Satoshi's reincarnations, searching for each other. However, if these claims are true, it seems the lovers have never found one another again, and the last claim of this nature was several hundred years ago.  
  
'In recent years the popularity of this story has diminished. Where it had once been one of the most famous love stories of the medieval period, it had now vanished into obscurity, along with the claims.'_  
  
_They...they weren't dreams,_ she realised._ They were...memories. And me and Ash...we are reincarnations of Kasumi and Satoshi.  
_   
Suddenly everything came back to her. Her life as Kasumi, her romance with Satoshi, and even of the other lifes she had lived between then and now. It was as if discovering the truth was the physic to the amnesia.

* * *

Ash struck the match along the rough side of the box and set the burning stick upon the small collection of wood and moss, igniting the pile. Rummaging in his bag, he pulled out the pots of instant ramen that were to be their dinner. _God, I wish Brock had come along with us,_ he thought, staring at the plastic containers.  
  
Setting a little stand over the fire, Ash placed the pan of water upon it. Misty would hopefully be back soon.  
  
He lay back down upon his sleeping bag, trying to ignore the countless pieces of twig and stone that jutted into his back, and thought back to his previous day with Misty. Why had she been so quiet, so depressed? But then he had been exactly the same way. That dream had totally freaked him out. The images continually flashed before his eyes, and there was nothing he could do to banish them. He swore he could still feel the pain in the left side of his stomach, though he knew it was just a phantom ache, a psychosomatic response caused by the reality of the dream.  
  
As he softly rubbed the spot, he closed his eyes. If the images from his dream wouldn't stop torturing his eyes, he might as well watch them, and grieve the death of his illusionary counterpart.  
  
As he lay and watched, images that he was sure hadn't been part of his dreams filtered in. _What? What's going on?_ He concentrated upon the faces that appeared, but he was sure that he did not recognise the people they belonged to. Then, as the flashes became more rapid, something else began to filter into his consciousness with them. Stories, entire life stories, of childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age, and they all belonged to people who looked identical to him.  
  
And with them came the knowledge of what was happening. The truth of what he'd been going through the past week or so.  
  
_They can't be memories,_ his mind told him, but he knew the truth, and no matter how confusing it was too him, he couldn't deny it.

* * *

Misty left the library and began to head out to the place they had decided to set up camp. As she slowly approached she could detect the light from a small camp fire, and saw Ash staring into the red and yellow glowing flames, seemingly deep in thought. She studied the serious look upon her friend's handsome face, the way his eyes were completely focused. And then she realised why. He must have discovered the truth as well.  
  
She entered the camp, slowly treading towards Ash, hoping not to alarm him. As she stopped, still several feet from him, he calmly lifted his head and looked into her face, a confused visage covering his features.  
  
"Ash?" she softly moaned, unsure of what to say.  
  
Ash stood, closing the space between the two of them. "Misty?" he said in the same tone.  
  
"S...Satoshi?" she asked, unsure.  
  
"Kasumi?!"  
  
They stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do. Ash moved closer to her, taking her hands into his. They could feel one another tremble, afraid of the truth, but could also feel an intensity of emotion. Ash couldn't just stand there, staring into her beautiful eyes. His feelings for her overwhelmed him and he lost control of himself. He rushed forward, clutching her face in his hands, and placed his lips upon hers with a tender, but passionate, force. She kissed him back, bringing her hands up to thread themselves in his raven black hair.  
  
The feeling of their lips together was familiar, and yet entirely foreign. Every second longer they remained that way, the more memories of the kisses and embraces they had shared in that previous life came flooding back to them. And with every touch of lips and tongue, the more they desired each other, the more they needed each other.  
  
"Ash," Misty whispered between kisses, her breath rampant. "I want it to be the way it used to be."  
  
Ash understood her meaning instantly. He pulled away from her mouth and looked deep into her eyes. He could see a painful yearning there, caused by a millennia of separation. It was a yearning he could feel within himself as well. Misty grabbed the back of his head, bringing the two into another intense kiss. Ash could taste her love and lust for him, which just enticed him further.  
  
And there, for the second and first time, they made love under the full moon, free to be held within each others arms, finally free to love.

* * *

He looked down at her, lying with her back against his bare chest, and pushed a bang of red hair from her perfect face. The simple touch gently stirred her from her slumber. She opened her aqua orbs and turned her head slightly so she could see his face. "Hey."  
  
"Hey. Sorry." She blinked the sleep from her eyes, yawning. "I must have dozed off."  
  
"Don't worry. I love watching you sleep." He looked at the scene around them. They were laying in the middle of a small closing, a sleeping bag below them, and one ontop, blossoming trees surrounding the lovers. "This reminds me of those days we spent in that forest. Cuddled up close under a blanket of stars, the soft ground underneath us..."  
  
"...The rushing water nearby," she uttered, continuing his train of thought. "The luscious land bathed in moonlight, the sweet wind bringing the scent of cherry blossoms with it." She sighed, contented. "It is so romantic."  
  
"Misty, ever the Romantic," Ash laughed. "You've always been that way. Maybe you should give poetry a go. Give Keats a run for his money," he teased.  
  
She gave him a confused look. "Since when did you know anything about poetry?"  
  
He giggled again. God, how she loved his laugh. It was the laugh of a ten-year-old, of someone who had not yet experienced the pain the world had to offer. It always made her smile and forget her troubles. "Well, I guess it was when I realised that I was falling for you. I knew you loved all that stuff, you know Keats, Shakespeare and Wordsworth, so I read some of their poems. I hoped to impress you with it someday," he looked away from her and down towards the ground, "but I never really got what they were talking about. I'm not the most intelligent guy in the world."  
  
She placed a few fingers under his chin and raised his head. "Of course you're intelligent, just because you don't have what they call 'book smarts'. You're a strategist and a tactician, and, believe me, that takes brains."  
  
"Thanks," he replied, blushing a little. Ash shifted to lie upon his back, and Misty made a pillow of his chest. He stared up at the moon, contemplating recent events, wrapping a strand of her hair around his finger. "So, who are we? Satoshi and Kasumi, Ash and Misty, or one of the countless people in between? I mean, don't they say a person is just a sum of their memories? Well, we have several life times of memories. Who does that make us?"  
  
She thought for a moment, unsure how to answer. "I guess...I guess we're a bit of everyone, but mainly Ash and Misty. That's who we were born as in this time. But that isn't really important. What is is that we're free and have each other. We finally have everything we had back then, and more."  
  
He paused for a moment, thinking about what she had said. Yes, everything was back to normal. Almost. There was still something missing. He brought his hand down to her abdomen. "Well, almost everything we had."  
  
A momentary wave of melancholy passed over her, making him wish he had avoided that subject, but she then smiled, placing her hand over his. "We'll have that again." She then laughed, "but not for another five or ten years or so."  
  
"Don't worry. I'm not planning on that yet, either."  
  
After another brief silence, Misty said, "You kept your promise."  
  
"What promise?"  
  
"In the court, before they took you from me, you said that we'd be together again, and now we are. It may have taken nearly a thousand years for us to find one another, but we are finally together once more."  
  
He embraced her lips again with his, moving his body over hers, hoping to initiate something more than kissing. Misty giggled through the kiss. "What?" he asked, a little annoyed at what seemed to be mocking.  
  
"Calm down, my love. Don't we have to get up early tomorrow so we can make it to your mother's house before it gets late?"  
  
"Mmm, yeah, but I'm willing to be a little late if you are." He moved his lips down to her neck, nipping at a newly discovered spot that drove her crazy.  
  
"You're incorrigible," she muttered, accepting her 'defeat'.  
  
Through kisses, he said, "It's just it's been so long since I've been able to feel your soft skin, to be so close to you."  
  
She giggled. "I love you, Ash."  
  
He stopped his administrations, causing her to protest slightly, and looked up into her face. Kasumi had said those words so often to him, but he had never heard Misty utter them. His heart rose even higher, and he suddenly felt light headed. Placing a kiss upon her lips once again, he looked deeply into her aqua eyes, and softly said, with all the emotion he could, "I love you, my goddess."

* * *

_Well, that's it. Complete. How did ya like it? Please review regardless. I've put a lot of sweat and tears into this fic, despite the fact it's only about 13,000 words long.  
  
The bit of the ramen instant noddles was thanks to both Neon Genesis Evangelion' and Martian Successor Nadesico.' While writing that scene I was watching an episode of each making fun of ramen, so I thought I'd add that little joke to this fic. A very Anime joke. LOL.  
  
Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. You've made it all worth it. And if anyone has any questions about the fic or anything, just email me. Luv ya guys loads, cultnirvana._


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